Playing Games with This Old Heart
by Silverblacktears
Summary: This is now finished. It takes place after Tesca. The Roughnecks go back to Tophet and find that things have changed there. Please Read and Review.
1. Sharing

Playing games with this old heart  
  
This Fic despite being rather long is supposed to be enjoyable, and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed playing with the ideas over and over in it whilst writing it. A few things to note though, you don't have to have read Friendship is as Friendship Does to understand this but it will help! I mean Ellen was introduced in that and she's in this. Note two, whenever a characters name appears at the top of an uh segment it means that it is in that persons perspective, this becomes easier to understand as you go on. And finally, I like Skinnie's and that's why there is a lot about them for my POV in this! Oh another note, I've only seen as far as Tesca! Yeah an important note that one, I don't actually knows what happens first hand after Tesca finishes so . yeah.  
  
Enjoy, and please, for the love of all things Roughnecks will you please review this if you read it! I mean I'm not asking a lot just a few words or even one word on what you think and if you like the idea.  
  
Disclaimers; the show isn't mine but all the new characters are, all new campaigns are mine too. T'Alos most definitely is and he is my proudest creation so please bear that in mind, I really do love the little fellow!  
  
Rating; I um and ah about these every time I write, I'd give it a 12 if I could but that isn't one of the ratings! There is a little bit of bad language in it, Ellen's does use milder swear words because she's like that! Not a lot of violence, in fact I can't think of any big violence in it. This blurb applies to all the parts of this fanfiction, so yah.  
  
~*~*~  
  
"Which squad were you with T'Alos?" Razak queried the young Skinnie delicately, filling in the reports; he had been made to fill these in when he had been assigned to work with another squad and the psychic from another miscellaneous unit. There were stationed on the Valley Forge, which was currently in transit on its way to the planet Tophet.  
  
"Foxtrot squad sir, the unit was disbanded when the Lieutenant and most of the others died on Kilica."  
  
"Which Lieutenant was in charge private I'm afraid I don't have that data?"  
  
"Lieutenant Grayson Delaney, the squad was also known as 'Delaney's Devils' sir."  
  
Razak held a discrete pause, he had read the cost reports of the failed Kilica campaign, SICON had announced that it was a no go planet; no more squads would be assigned there. The scariest thing was that the young psychic before him had predicted the whole thing down to the fact that SICON would never be sending Troopers there again. The Skinnie showed no emotion as he spoke which psychics were trained to do, even if the child was not a psychic he was still a Skinnie and they were renowned for their lack of visible emotions too.  
  
"Alright, we are moving out at 0800 in two days time,"  
  
"Yes sir," Razak watched him leave. There was something strange about the young Skinnie, besides his powers and his alien visage, something intangible; maybe it was his age, T'Alos was very young after all. He threw the reports to one side to join the others of his squad.  
  
~*~*~  
  
T'Phai  
  
Someone rapped lightly on the door of the barracks; with a look of considerable confusion on my face, I opened the inner door to meet Ellen's enthusiastic features. "I cannot escape you can I?" I teased slightly and she grinned. The barracks themselves were plain, there were six bunks laid out in two rows of three, which were each covered with blankets and sheets, my own cot had my gear stored under it.  
  
"Well bleh to you!" She said sticking out her tongue in one of her childish displays that I did not acknowledge. "I'm not here to see you; I'm here to see your new room mates." My face held a look of mild shock; I did not know I would be sharing my barracks with any one.  
  
"Pardon?"  
  
She bounced slightly on the balls of her feet, overjoyed at knowing something I did not. "You don't know? You've got to give up the solitude of living alone T'Phai, there are two other Skinnies sharing with you over this mission and I'm here to see one of them. Is it alright with you if I wait here?" I shook my head and she lowered herself onto one of the vacant bunks.  
  
The barracks I was stationed in were much like any other, with a shelf by the door upon which my helmet was situated and, if what Ellen had said, were the truth then there would be two other helmets joining it. "Aren't you going to ask me why I want to see this person so much?"  
  
I decided to walk willingly into her childish games, "Why do you want to meet this person so much Ellen?" To my delight, she noticed my patronising tone giving a slight frown of depression. "I do really want to know Ellen, but I am sure given time, I will find out on my own."  
  
"Ok then, I suppose I walked into that one," She admitted slightly, Ellen is not quite as childish on the inside as one expects when first meeting her, she is a very mature person when you get to know her but she rarely lets people get close to her.  
  
The doors buzzer went, and she looked to me with a smile. I stood and opened the air lock; standing in it was a female of my own kind. She saluted me keenly and I saluted back out of curtness. "Hail colonel T'Phai," She said in our own language; Ellen was smiling still, her smile had grown slightly.  
  
"Hey T'Phai, there you were hoping to escape the fame of being a Colonel by becoming an MI." She teased, from the bunk she was still seated on, in my language too. "You must be Corporal L'Meariea," She stood and moved to my side, looking up to the females face.  
  
"Yes ma'am."  
  
"Nope, it's Ellen; you owe me none of that ma'am crap!"  
  
The female skinnie looked confused looking to me for clarification, "She feels that she is no better then we are," I explained Ellen's introduction; I myself had been slightly taken aback by Ellen's ways when we had first met.  
  
"My name is L'Meariea and I am assigned to Romeo squad, under the control of lieutenant Orson."  
  
"Unfortunately name for a squad," Ellen grunted slightly, now speaking English. "Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou!" She quoted, I looked as confused as L'Meariea did, and Ellen grinned widely. "It's Shakespeare, you know the old English guy who wrote a load of stuff to torture school kids across the world."  
  
She went and sat on my bunk, looking up at me as if she expected me to be annoyed; I was not, Ellen is someone I have learnt to deal with given the time, she was now my closest human friend. "Is this who you were waiting for?" I queried her softly.  
  
"No,"  
  
L'Meariea stood immobile by the door, I looked to her and realised what she was waiting for. "Oh, of course," I stammered slightly. "You are invited to sit and by at ease soldier, I am afraid I have taken the bunk Ellen is seated upon but any other one is free."  
  
"Thank you sir," She placed her helmet on the shelf and sat on a bunk down the row from my own, mainly out of respect.  
  
Ellen lay back on my bunk, her arms behind her head, she was completely at ease around me and in the powersuit, which she had been assigned to visit me in. We had been aboard the Valley Forge for only a few hours and I had not yet seen her besides now. I did not even know which suit colour she was wearing, something that I normally did.  
  
Being a Medic, Ellen had to change her uniform depending on where she was; generally, when planet side she wore grey or mild green grey to be more prescience now that we were stationed on the Valley Forge she wore dark green, which was almost the same colour as my own suit.  
  
The door chime went once and I moved to it again, having not sat down again. It hissed open to reveal another Skinnie; he was barely more then a child, SICON had to have been desperately stupid to take the young being. I predict his age at about eighteen, which is far too young to be out fighting. He had a scar over the brow of his right eye and a pool of blood on his suit's arm.  
  
"You are bleeding," I informed him despite the fact that he had to be aware of it.  
  
"I am used to it sir," Even his voice was that of a child yet it held such knowledge and experience that it was easy to ignore the childish tones. "I am T'Alos, assigned to Razak's Roughneck's as a psychic." I was slightly taken aback I did not know that any Skinnie could use psychic powers.  
  
"I .. I ."  
  
"Don't chew yourself up over it," Ellen said she was still rested on the bunk. "Now you know who I was waiting for," I turned to her to see that she was watching me intently and L'Meariea was looking past me to the new Skinnie.  
  
"T'Alos?"  
  
"L'Meariea?"  
  
Ellen motioned for me to sit with her; I lowered myself slowly onto the bunk besides her with a slight sigh. "See T'Alos is psychic, he can see things into the future unlike any other Skinnie ever, I swear you may all be slightly psychic! Anyway he and L'Meariea were in the Delaney Devils before this offensive." L'Meariea crossed the room and hugged her companion.  
  
"I did not know that you were here," L'Meariea commented in confusion.  
  
"Neither did I," T'Alos admitted, "Well to be fair I did, I just thought I had gotten confused."  
  
I was more then willing to ignore the fact that I myself was being ignored; after giving up my rank of colonel in order to join SICON I had gotten used to the feeling of being ignored. To be fair, I was still a Colonel, the second I went planet-side on Tophet I was a colonel again but I dare say that SICON would ignore that.  
  
"T'Alos," Ellen got his attention. "I hate breaking up reunions, but I do need to look at that arm of yours." She sat him down on my bunk without asking is it was all right with me, gently removing his sleeve. "So, what do you make of the temperature in here? Teph's done nothing but moan about it."  
  
"I have not moaned about it,"  
  
"No but you did mention it so many times that they did something about it," She looked down on the bad arm and nodded. "Yeah that's fine, should be all better by the end of the week." She placed his sleeve back, hooking it tenderly around his claw. "See when Skinnie's use their gifts, well at least in T'Alos's case, they get hurt like that or worse; that's how he injured his eye, he wasn't a clumsy clot like someone else!" She was addressing me for L'Meariea would have known this already and she was teasing my own scar, again.  
  
"I was not clumsy; I just did not see the warrior bug." I objected speaking of my own wound, the jagged scar that ran over my left eye, I was lucky that my eye had been shut at the time. The Scar itself was caused just after I had been given the rank of Lieutenant, during a raid on my home village, a warrior bug had taken a slash at me and it was my eye it managed to get.  
  
It had not hurt as badly as is expected, it stung for a while after and it had given L'War sufficient fuel for many a tease. I had had to remain off duty for a whole week, because the area had swelled so badly and resulted in my falling over far too much; it was my last time off with L'War around.  
  
"Colonel T'Phai, please excuse my disrespect sir. I was just very happy to see L'Meariea again."  
  
The child's voice snapped me abruptly from my sorry thoughts and I turned to him, taking a brief moment to take in his marginally pale features. He had very wise eyes for his age and he had the scar that Ellen had just pointed out to me, it ran almost fully across his forehead and looked vicious. "There is no need for your apologies; I am no longer a Colonel, Private."  
  
"According to who?"  
  
"The LT warned you about that," L'Meariea said softly. I had spoken very little to her so far, she reminded me far too much of L'War. "No using of your powers out of hours, you should respect her all the more in her death." Grayson Delaney had died during the final offensive on Kilica, I had heard of her because it appeared that the woman was dying anyway, she had had an inoperable brain tumour.  
  
"I was not predicting, I still think he is a colonel, I am not foolish so much as to use my powers when there is no need."  
  
"Then I apologise,"  
  
"Accepted,"  
  
I watched them both, feeling glad that there were others of my own kind around on this journey; we were all going back to Tophet on 'mop-up' duty as the others called it. I have always found it suspicious how the bugs on Tophet were so controlled and together even after the death of the brain bug there, it is almost as if something else were controlling them in its place.  
  
~*~*~ 


	2. Turfed Out

~*~*~  
  
Higgins  
  
I placed the camera on the workbench by my cot in the barracks, Rico and Dizzy were having a row by the door and I had almost dropped the camera there; it's odd how none of the others seem to realise how much this stuff is worth! The whole ship seemed to be in an uproar, Dizzy was angry that she would have to move barracks due to the fact that SICON didn't want her sharing barracks with the men who were joining us from another squad, you have to question how much they trust us all.  
  
We all knew how strong Dizzy was, argue with her too much or hurt her and you risk the pain of loosing something very valuable, so SICON's decision seemed a little insane.  
  
I haven't even heard of Romeo squad before, most everyone has heard of Alpha team, Razak's Roughnecks one of the most respected units in the MI but Romeo squad was relatively new; I have heard that it's made up of several other units, or the ones who had survived Kilica.  
  
I am somewhat glad that I wasn't there, a squad was lucky to keep two people out of the original eight members from when it arrived. The most famous was Delaney's devils, or foxtrot squad, they were lucky enough to have five people survive.  
  
The door opened and Razak entered, I bolted to attention as did Dizzy and Rico, I have no idea where the others are right now; knowing Goss and Doc probably eating. "Clear out when I have finished Flores, you've been assigned barracks please stick to them," I noticed that Brutto was stood in the corner near the back; he must have been sitting on his bunk which was at the back of the barracks.  
  
"I am sure that you are all aware that Romeo squad are joining us today," Razak said, he motioned for us to stand easy. "You may also be aware that we have been joined by two psychics."  
  
I was glad to see that I wasn't the only one who looked confused; I knew there would be one psychic joining us but I had no idea about the second. "The first is a Skinnie, the only psychic Skinnie ever know and the second is a human, you are to treat them both with the uttermost respect, am I making myself clear?"  
  
"Sir Yes sir,"  
  
"Where is this Skinnie?" I asked, after an interview with the one and only psychic skinnie. Razak glared at me and I felt some of my spirits melt.  
  
"He is staying in T'Phai's barracks."  
  
"Who's the human?" Rico queried softly as the door opened again, allowing a pale faced youth entry. "Carl?" My own joy at seeing my old squad mate was huge and I was glad the unit was 'complete' again; I couldn't help but wonder how T'Phai and he would be towards each other mind.  
  
"Yes Johnny, it's me," Dizzy threw her arms around his neck in delight at seeing her old friend. "No need for those sorts of thoughts Sarge," He muttered; Brutto looked at him blinking slightly. "I am not cracking, I am better and I am stronger then before. Not quite as strong as the other psychic mind you, I can feel his mind from here."  
  
"Romeo squad are arriving at 1700 tomorrow, I want you all bunked on the same side of the barracks is that clear?"  
  
"Sir yes sir."  
  
Razak made sure that Dizzy left with him and I, after snatching up my camera, left too, going in search of T'Phai and the psychic Skinnie. I walked the short distance to the Skinnie barracks, pulling on a powersuit so I could enter; Ellen had to be there too; there was only one suit left.  
  
I pressed the buzzer and T'Phai opened the door, greeting me with a slight bow of his head; I've never seen him out of uniform before and I took it in carefully. He wore a plain green suit, much like the black ones we all wore without the ribbing, and his ankle supports, which I knew that Skinnie's had to wear most of the time; I'm not even sure if they come off they may very well be part of his ankle.  
  
We had a day of R and R on the Valley Forge and I supposed that T'Phai had little point to be wearing the suit, as he wouldn't leave the barracks; technically speaking we had two days R and R but we all knew that Razak would be taking the other one up with training.  
  
"Hi," I started nervously, there were two other Skinnies sitting on one of the cots, the taller of the two was tending to a nosebleed the other was having. "I came to . uh ." I couldn't very well say I came to talk to the psychic. T'Phai looked at me; he had guessed why I was here.  
  
"Hey Higgins, you come to introduce yourself?" Ellen asked, she was lounging on one of the bunks, probably T'Phai's. "I suppose you heard about our young psychic." The other two Skinnies were talking in their own language and T'Phai turned to them, he nodded and spoke back. "That was the, he can speak with us but he can put the camera away request." I slouched visibly, and Ellen grinned widely.  
  
I slipped the camera into its pocket, standing still by the door. "Please have a seat," T'Phai stuck to the niceties offering me a seat on the bunk besides Ellen, he then stood by the back wall watching us all intently; he was worse then my dad when I took a girl home and I was only asking for an interview!  
  
The younger Skinnie, well I assume he was younger because he was shorter then the other two, stood and came towards me. "I am the one you are after, I am not just a psychic, I have a name too." He had a soft, childish voice, he had to be younger then I was!  
  
"Pardon?"  
  
"I am psychic, I can read your thoughts, doing so is one of the few things that does not hurt me!" The other Skinnie stood by him, resting a hand on his shoulder. "My name is T'Alos, I have been psychic since I was younger but my mother did not tell anyone until I had blown up my first bug using my mind."  
  
"Do you really think this is the right time to be doing this?" The other Skinnie asked, to my surprise, she was female, I've never met a female Skinnie before and she looked just like a male Skinnie to my untrained eye; I suppose there must have been differences but I couldn't see them.  
  
"Let me introduce myself, I'm Robert Higgins, I'm a federal Network reporter assigned to the front lines after stories; I'm just curious like the rest of my planet, my viewers."  
  
"I will be alright L'Meariea; it is fair enough that he be curious."  
  
I stayed seated and he sat on the bunk closest me, "I will not read your mind during this, I will not prepare answers to your questions." He told me, I looked into his deep black eyes and nodded slightly.  
  
"Alright," I clicked on a Dictaphone and rested it on my lap. "This is Robert Higgins, interviewing the only known Skinnie psychic, T'Alos. So, T'Alos you predicted the whole incident at Kilica, was there a reason SICON went ahead with the campaign."  
  
"Psychic evidence is not pure evidence, Lieutenant Delaney believed me but she was the only high ranking officer who did." He lowered his head and L'Meariea moved in towards him, resting a hand on his shoulder again.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Brutto  
  
Psychics, uh they freak me out like nothing else, what's the point in seeing the future, whatever happens happens, you don't need warning for it. SICON depend too much on them, I've seen a psychic fail before, I've seen squads depend on them to much and die because of it.  
  
"Have you met the other psychic?" Rico asked Higgins as he came back, the reporter placed his camera on the bench by his bunk.  
  
"Yes,"  
  
"Well don't keep us in suspense,"  
  
"He's good, I walked in and he could've told me what I was going to ask him!"  
  
"Like I said he's powerful," Jenkins injected, I looked towards the pale- skinned kid, and he looked back to me. I don't hate the kid, to be fair, I'm just a little scared by what he and others like him can do, thoughts are called personal thoughts for a reason and I didn't want anyone poking around in mine.  
  
"Alright Sarge I won't poke around in your head any more."  
  
I ignored him, not even giving a scowl in the kid's direction; he had already invaded the bloody things! "To be fair I was never any good at that side of things anyway."  
  
"Not like T'Alos, he says it's the only thing he can do without hurting himself, says it's like reading his own thoughts now!" I cringed slightly, that idea was less then comforting, two brain boys and one of them can do it without thinking about it!  
  
I doubt I'll ever trust psychics, why would I? Errors are made on their words and that is not a good thing.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Dizzy  
  
Anyone would think I'm worried about sharing a bunk room with the guys, why would I be? I've put up with the others for ages and some of the smells they make so what's different compared to sharing with the new lot?  
  
I threw myself onto the best-looking bunk, which was furthest from the door so that I wasn't first up in the mornings; it makes sense! I hadn't even spoken with Carl very long yet and with the LT making sure I stayed put I wasn't likely too.  
  
The door side comm went and I stood and went to answer it; Ellen was on the other end, wearing a cooling suit. "Hey Diz, how's things?" I felt a little confused, Ellen wasn't someone I knew well, true we had started to consider her as one of us but that was it really; she was T'Phai's friend and she was a nice person in all but she wasn't someone I knew well.  
  
"LT's got me confined to this barracks, I'm not allowed in the guy's room any more."  
  
Ellen laughed at me, she could laugh all she liked, if it were anyone else I'd hit them but Ellen happened to be the best friend of a certain 7ft being I didn't really want to cross. "Sorry there, I just thought you said that you couldn't share with the guys. Doesn't Razak trust you all?"  
  
"I don't know; how's T'Phai?"  
  
"I am well, thank you," The Skinnie interjected from just off the screen. He moved into my line of site with a slight smile. "When do Romeo squad arrive?"  
  
"1700 tomorrow, what about your room mates?"  
  
"Did everyone except me know about this?" He asked in an oddly bitter tone for a Skinnie. "No one told me that I would be sharing barracks." This cheered me up a little bit, at least I wasn't the only one forced into doing something against my will.  
  
"He just realises he can't strut around nude any more." I got some highly unappreciated mental images due to what Ellen had said.  
  
"Thanks, I thought things couldn't be any worse then you gave me that picture!" I yelled at her, she was laughing her head off and her friend looked indignant. "No offence T'Phai," I apologised to the alien who accepted the apology, he looked about ready to bite Ellen's head off though!  
  
There was a commotion from their side as someone entered; T'Phai spoke a greeting in his language. "Ah your room mates, what are they like?"  
  
"I remain unsure, I have had little opportunity to speak with them; there is little time left now though. Razak has just informed me that we have sim training tomorrow."  
  
"Yeah I heard that too,"  
  
"Doesn't give you guys a break does he?" Ellen asked, "I get the whole trip R and R, yep I can come and watch you slaving away."  
  
"You will end up joining in, you will be bored alone." T'Phai predicted, I nodded, I knew little of Ellen but I knew she was someone who got bored easily.  
  
The door in my barracks opened, "Well I've gotta go, see you around." I cut the link and turned to see who had entered. "LT," I bolted upright, he motioned that I should sit again and remained by the door. I looked at him hoping he saw how confused I was.  
  
"Training tomorrow Flores,"  
  
"Sir why have I been made to move?"  
  
"SICON's orders private, I just give them out." He looked to me, he had been one of my tutors in school, he had known Rico, Carl and I before we'd joined up. "I think Romeo squad has more female Apes, better to separate the two off so you can form bonds with one another."  
  
"C'mon sir we all know what'll happen,"  
  
Razak did know what would happen, I'm sure of it; I had a conflicting personality and I wasn't likely to get on with them all. He left me and I moved to the bunk.  
  
~*~*~ 


	3. Apologies

~*~*~  
  
Carl  
  
Ever since I came out of my 'coma' I had been told that the Skinnie's had joined us but I hadn't met all that many of them, there was one on the transport to the Valley Forge but he hadn't been very talkative. I've never really understood what happened on the day that I had dropped into my mind mashing coma. I've had a lot of time to try and place, to try and sort everything out and in place but things evaded me still.  
  
As far as I can place it I was trying to stun the bug when T'Phai entered, bent on destroying the crawler himself, which I think is fair enough, seeing as he was the one with the bug on his neck for the year or whatever it is. He distracted Rico and Dizzy and the bug got me in a situation there was no way out of. When I had blown the bug up my already exhausted mind was ready to faint and that's what happened.  
  
"Can I speak to you?"  
  
A voice grasped my attention from my own recess; I was seated in the corner of a canteen that was filled with many people. I looked up to the alien, who was already looking at me, with a flash his black eyes drew me back to the finding of the control bug on his neck.  
  
"I realise that I am not a person you would want to speak with but I would like to apologise."  
  
The voice was no longer altered by the talk box I had been used too, the talk box that had been our way of communicating previously, yet the Human words didn't entirely dull the alien effects to his voice. I motioned that he should sit opposite me and he did so, folding his hands into his lap. "What are you sorry for?" I queried rhetorically and I wasn't going to give him the time to answer. "I don't know what happened, no fault can be placed on my behalf, maybe when I learn what happened then I could."  
  
He blinked in what was clearly a bemused way and he looked at me for a while, when we'd met before there was mutual loathing because of the bug but now we were very much the same. "I think we should be reintroduced, it's a Human way of restarting things, I'm Carl Jenkins, I guess you must have known that already because you came looking for me, Colonel."  
  
A look glazed over his black eyes that I recognised as pain, "No, I am no longer a colonel; SICON decided that my race would have to earn the ranks we had already gained on Tophet." He told me, his voice was calm despite the levels of bitterness I was detecting from him; he was a credit to his kind with his great strength of character. "Private T'Phai."  
  
"That's a very big demotion,"  
  
His mouth twitched into his kind's version of a smile, he appreciated the observation. I suppose that was because he had never been accepted as demoted, merely as one of the aliens that most of the troopers initially still wanted to grease. "It was, I am almost glad; Humans do not allow Colonel's to fight."  
  
There was no doubting his own abilities in the field; I had been filled in on his helping the Roughnecks to free the others of his kind and his shaky introduction to the others. I was touched by the fact that they were willing to be so cruel to him on my behalf in a funny way - it meant that they really did like me! Dizzy had told me what Brutto had said, 'nice of Ibanez to ask about Jenkins. Hey the kid was a freak but he was ours freak. At least he was Human.'  
  
"Not very often no, you'd have asked to be demoted anyway?"  
  
"I am unsure,"  
  
"Yeah, I can tell,"  
  
He looked at me, his head cocked to one side, he'd only ever met one other psychic and that was his new room mate who he'd only met for a few moments. "Rico is approaching, he's been looking for me all morning, or at least he says that he has."  
  
"I meant to thank you, for saving Tophet; if you had not freed me then I would not have been able to help the Roughnecks to free the others." He thanked me in his soft tones, it was very easy to see him as commanding though; it was the quieter ones that are undoubtedly the best commanders, Razak was a quieter person off duty too. "You are a hero on Tophet."  
  
He stood, bowing his upper half to me before leaving. I think I can see now why my mind had told me to read his mind that day, the reason I had ignored the fatigue to do so. A hero? I rather liked the sound of that.  
  
~*~*~ 


	4. Initial meetings

~*~*~  
  
1700, arrival of Romeo squad.  
  
Razak's Roughnecks had made sure they had the best bunks, if there were such a thing; they had taken the right hand row of barracks leaving the newly formed Romeo squad with the left hand ones. The new squad arrived at 1705, entering with their kit bags and talking loudly, there were only two Roughnecks there - Gossard and Doc. They said nothing in greeting, poring over a new report from Razak. They had Sim training in about an hour and they were going to meet up with the others.  
  
The two left barracks and headed to the mess hall to meet the others, even T'Phai and Ellen were there. "So what are they like?" Dizzy asked, she was the most curious; this lot had turned her out of her room.  
  
"Well you know how some squads will play up to a name ." Goss started.  
  
"They wear pink right?" Rico asked the others gave a laugh.  
  
"No, they do have stupid pink hearts on their uniforms mind you; what about the Skinnie?" Gossard told them, turning his question to T'Phai.  
  
"No, she seems too distant to do so."  
  
"That's his little way of saying, stupid human custom." Ellen insisted, she poked T'Phai in the arm. "There's no way a Skinnie would do that,"  
  
"She still has the markings on her uniform from being in Foxtrot squad," He told her simply. "It is a fox with small red horns, T'Alos has the same marking on his suit too.  
  
Gossard stifled a laugh, T'Phai had just practically pulled the 'nah nah, you were wrong' on her. "So besides these stupid pink hearts what were they like?" Rico queried, he was leading the conversation effectively.  
  
"Well there were four of them,"  
  
"Four? That means two women, not counting T'Alos as one of them, I wonder if they're all hard nuts like Dizzy," Rico said, she hit him hard. "Why aren't you keeping an eye on you things?" Diz gave him the 'don't be so childish look.'  
  
Higgins, holding his camera recording the whole thing spoke up. "Well one Skinnie too," Ellen looked to T'Phai, spoke in his language and gained a reply; the other Roughnecks looked at them with odd looks on their faces. They all knew that Ellen could speak Skinnie but there was no need to rub it in.  
  
"Sorry, joke at your expense Higwig." She teased slightly, "Skinnie females do count as women you know,"  
  
"I didn't mean . well . I uh ." Higgins tried to correct his slight error but failed.  
  
"Ellen is just teasing you, I saw what you meant." The conversation dried up considerably, until they said that it would be best to wait the hour or so until training in their barracks, or in Ellen's case T'Phai's, because her quarters were on the other side of the ship.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Higgins  
  
I know how hard it is to be accepted into a new squad but I'd never witnessed the merging of two squads; I mean we had to get used to T'Phai's being around and such but never a whole squad. It was worse for Dizzy, she's always shared with the other Roughnecks but now she had to share with other women, which she didn't seem to like doing.  
  
We all entered the barracks, Romeo squad were having a sort of conference too, they had an LT who wasn't present but over all Razak was in charge, which made us the ones he'd trust more. Carl had become an honorary Roughneck again, he would be staying with us after all and he and T'Phai seemed to bare no grudges so that was fine. I don't know what went on there, I guess the two had words but I missed that show; mores the pity it would have made a great arc conclusion, the principle cause of the damage done to Carl and Carl willing to say that it was ok.  
  
Dizzy had joined us, sitting on Rico's bunk that was furthest from the door, I'd drawn the short and was now by the door so that if an alarm went I should be first up. Romeo squad noticed Dizzy and one of the stood to challenge it. The person was about my height, which, concerning the fact that he was challenging someone as tall as Doc and Gossard was stupid and badly matched. He had brown eyes and wild ginger hair, which was a scruffy mess definitely against regulation. "No girls in these barracks,"  
  
"What are you doing here then?" Carl sniped; I chuckled with the others, that was a good comment and I was glad I'd caught it. We all looked to him; the ginger haired boy was steaming.  
  
"Dizzy doesn't count as a girl, she's a Roughneck." Rico insisted, "She's probably more masculine then you are!" Again we laughed, even Dizzy who agreed with what was being said. A bleeper went and we looked to the comm besides my bunk, the others then looked to me.  
  
"I'll go then," I muttered, shifting to the door. I opened the link to meet Razak's visage.  
  
"Collect T'Phai and Flores and get your cans in gear, Sim training immediately!" He ordered.  
  
"But LT you said we had until 1800!" Dizzy spoke up; a dangerous look crossed the LT's face, he glared at her.  
  
"I told you not to go into those barracks Flores; do I need to remind you of that?"  
  
"It's my fault LT; Dizzy was just collecting a book." Rico insisted, I could tell from the looks on the others faces that they were all equally ready to jump in with a comment; after all, I was ready too. The comm cut and we all stood, grabbing our weapons from the locker, each grabbing our helmets. We left Romeo squad discussing Carl's cut down of the Ginger one.  
  
~*~*~  
  
After training, Girl's barracks.  
  
Dizzy  
  
I threw my kit down on my bunk; I start to wonder just what T'Phai does to make himself such a damn good shot because he can hit more accurately then anyone else. I looked around suddenly to notice my new room mates, both girls had short hair because it was regulation and they were poring over something on one of the bunks, far away from my own!  
  
I went to comm device and keyed it, I was going to ask T'Phai how he was such a good shot, I wanted a strait answer after all and if I asked Ellen I could never be sure is she was telling the truth! "Is T'Phai around?" I asked the young Skinnie on the view; this had to be the mysterious T'Alos.  
  
"Yes I am T'Alos; and yes T'Phai is around, he is just coming." He informed me, confirming his excellent psychic prowess. "Why thank you, T'Phai does not know that you are here, I can tell him if you would like."  
  
"Yeah sure, whatever."  
  
He left the view briefly and I heard him speaking with someone else, I smiled despite the girls behind me; I could see why Ellen had so many Skinnie friends they had so many funny ways. "That was not a nice thing to think!" T'Alos yelled at me.  
  
"What?" I snapped back unaware that he could read my thoughts with his back to the viewer; the girls laughed at me. I turned on them.  
  
"Do not do what you are contemplating Flores," Another voice spoke up and I turned back to meet T'Phai's visage. "I do not need to be psychic to know what you were planning. Did you want something?" I nodded slightly; I stifled my grin at his knowing what I was planning.  
  
"Yeah, how the hell can you shoot so well? No Human can beat you."  
  
"I dare say one of you could,"  
  
"Don't joke me, I know what you want to be saying,"  
  
"Oh?" I looked into his maddeningly calm black eyes and saw no hint of anger or hatred in them. "What would that be?" T'Alos muttered something behind T'Phai in their language and a short look of delight crossed the Skinnie's face as I watched.  
  
"That you come from a species that are superior, you said it yourself 'Humans are a weak and pitiful race'." I realised all of a sudden what I had said and a look of slight pain crossed his face. It wasn't T'Phai who had said that but the bug inside the back of his neck at the time; I'd just stirred up a wasps nest in his head and he blinked back some emotion. "I'm sorry that was cruel, stupid, I didn't mean it; I was just messing with you. I know it wasn't you who said it!"  
  
T'Alos moved to T'Phai's side so he could watch, T'Phai made no effort to send him away. "She means it," He told T'Phai simply, "Alright I'll go," He left and I couldn't help but feel a little scared of the young being.  
  
"It has nothing to do with my species Diz, it is more to do with practise and training; I am sorry to end this conversation so soon but I have to prep my suit, Razak has ordered us ready for combat training against Romeo squad by 1930 hours." I cut the link and started to check over my own suit, feeling the other girls watching gaze on my back, what I would've given for the chance to punch one of their faces in!  
  
~*~*~  
  
1930, Sim training suit one, Briefing.  
  
"This is not a live ammo exercise, when you are down an electro charge will keep you down. I case you other Apes get ideas, touching a fallen squad mate will also shock you. This is not a competition, neither squad is better then the other and to assure this I am splitting both units up, you have a few minutes to get used to your new team mates." Razak explained, both squads gave scowls, except the two Skinnies who remained indifferent.  
  
The other LT stepped forward; an auburn haired man of Razak's age, he had surprisingly compassionate green eyes and freckles; he was holding a data reader. "Team one; Sergeant Brutto, Corporal Gossard, Corporal L'Meariea, Privates Flores, Higgins, Mikwell, and McKenzie. Which leaves team two as; Sergeant Perez, Corporal LaCroix, Corporal Zaphod, Privates Jenkins, Rico, Lee and T'Phai. Team two have a slight time deduction due to the fact that they have a psychic."  
  
"This is a basic exercise, working as a team you will advance towards the other base and capture the flag, which is green for team one and blue for team two you then have to return it to your own base." He finished by explaining the drill. "The first unit to do this will have the reward of a bar of chocolate for each team member. Am I making myself clear?"  
  
"Sir yes sir," They yelled.  
  
"Team one, briefing in this room, team two, this one you have a quarter of an hour to discover the strengths of your team mates! Move out!" Razak ordered, motioning two rooms for them to brief in, after they had left the two lieutenants looked to one another, Orson shrugged and they went to the observation window.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Team one, Briefing.  
  
"Flores I want you guarding that flag, Higgins stick close to her and Goss I want you on point." Brutto ordered sorting out his own squad mates first. "Which of you lot can shoot well?" He turned to his bunch from Romeo squad, best to seem as if he were vaguely professional.  
  
Mikwell, one of the girls from Dizzy's earlier incident rose. "I can sir, and L'Meariea would be an excellent choice for point work, I think she'd do a better job then corporal Gossard."  
  
"Yeah well we'll have to see, Gossard you keep point. I'll take L'Meariea with me, sounds as if your squad has high praise for you so you can't be that bad and if T'Phai's shooting's anything to judge by then you are going to be an alright shot!"  
  
"What about me sir?" McKenzie asked, he was a pale, thin boy who was about Higgins age; he had black hair and dark eyes which shone with delight at the thought of combat.  
  
"I don't know Private what can you do well?"  
  
"General really sir,"  
  
"Alright then, you can bring up our rear."  
  
~*~*~  
  
Team two, briefing  
  
"Zaphod I want you watching that flag like a hawk, shoot any other being who goes anywhere near it; Lee your with me, I want you taking point. What about you lot?" The Sergeant ordered before turning to the group he had been assigned from Alpha squad. He was a fair-haired man with a scar across his chin and blue unforgiving eyes.  
  
"T'Phai's a great shot," Rico spoke up, unafraid to speak to the Sergeant before him. "Better then your man Zaphod and that's a given." Zaphod was the ginger haired male from earlier; Rico had already decided that this man was the one member of Romeo squad he hated the most.  
  
"You exaggerate Rico,"  
  
"He doesn't," Perez said with a slight chuckle. "I saw you training yesterday, three bugs to three shots. You're staying here, Rico I want you to come with me, bringing up the rear."  
  
"Doc's better at that then I am," Rico insisted.  
  
"Alright private, you are to stay with me and Jenkins, I want you to stay with Zaphod, give our shooters warning of anyone coming."  
  
The psychic nodded but he was clearly thinking on something else at the time. "Why isn't T'Alos taking part?" Jenkins asked, his own eyes watching the Sergeant. "I thought he was going to be here."  
  
"I don't know Private, doctor Baxter took him." He looked to T'Phai, "Where is he private?"  
  
The Skinnie did not give much of a sign of being shocked but the others from the Roughnecks caught the slight jump in his shoulders as the sergeant had questioned him. "Ellen, I mean Doctor Baxter came to see him this morning, he was not well last night."  
  
"Right are we all clear on what we're doing?"  
  
"Sir yes sir!"  
  
~*~*~  
  
Base one, Team one.  
  
"We'll be back before you know it, alright team move out!" Brutto ordered, he and the others who were supposed to be leaving did so, leaving Higgins, Flores and Mikwell by the flag; it was atop the bunker and they had taken up positions inside it.  
  
"Well this is going to be fun," Dizzy muttered her weapon was still ready but she was not, leaning against the wall casually next to Higgins. "What do you reckon they're trying to prove by doing this? That we've got two good little Sergeants who do what their LT's tell them without thinking about it!"  
  
"Speak for your own sergeant but Sergeant Perez is an excellent tactician!" Mikwell muttered, she was a rather beefed up muscular person with dark blue eyes and sandy hair. "I don't know how he'll react to the fact that he doesn't have L'Meariea - I mean he'd rather have her over your man LaCroix."  
  
Dizzy did not rise to the bait and just bit back, "She's a Skinnie, Skinnies are better all round when it comes to shooting," Higgins pointed out. "Hi, I'm Robert Higgins," The reporter introduced himself politely, seeing no need in annoying all of Romeo squad.  
  
"Well I knew your surname already it's plastered on your suit,"  
  
"There was no need for that; he was trying to be polite," Diz stood up for the young reporter, "Look out of us lot you're a minority so shut up and watch for the others."  
  
~*~*~  
  
Two hours later, Base two.  
  
T'Phai had his weapon pointed squarely at L'Meariea, who had her own weapon pointed at him; T'Phai did not lower his weapon but started to speak with her in common tongue. "I think that we are in a stalemate," He stated the obvious, L'Meariea had shot both Zaphod and Jenkins and he had managed to hit the two left with her.  
  
"What do you recommend we do?" She queried, not moving her own grasp on the weapon. She was a higher rank then him now but she was paying the respect to his Tophet based rank that she felt he still deserved.  
  
"Nothing, we are on opposite ." He started but finished mid sentence as if he had had a revelation. "Set up a truce between the two of us, they did not say that we could not do that." She nodded and on a count of three, both lowered their weapons and shook on a truce.  
  
"I hear the others of your team approaching," She told him, sitting herself on the ground, as did he. "They will not be pleased with what you have done."  
  
"I have done nothing wrong,"  
  
"I do not like chocolate either,"  
  
He looked to her, having to turn his head to her fully so she could see the hint of a smile playing with his features. "That is not why I am holding a truce with you; it seemed like the right thing to do." He insisted, "Though chocolate is not a particularly motivating reason for me to keep with my team." She gave a slight chuckle, and a nod of agreement.  
  
"Indeed,"  
  
"Do you know what is wrong with T'Alos? I was a little worried when Ellen took him away this morning."  
  
In her position as his guardian L'Meariea had known T'Alos for nearly a year and offered up the logical explanation for his illness. "He is just getting jittery; he did so whenever we arrived anywhere." She said with a fond half smile. "His youth is a problem in this instance."  
  
He nodded; he heard a Human crash through the undergrowth, drawing close to them. "Their approach is not very stealthy, it is very hard to see how they approach anything quietly," She commented in their own language.  
  
"They can be," Rico and Perez approached the latter carrying the flag which sported their colour triumphantly.  
  
Perez glared at the seated Skinnie, who stood at attention as the gaze caught his face. He was expecting what he gained, used to most forms of 'chewing out' what with being a colonel on Tophet. "What's going on here Private?" Perez demanded not yet setting down the flag.  
  
"We called a truce sir; neither of us will harm one another."  
  
"That was not in the mission briefing,"  
  
"I saved lose of life sir,"  
  
Rico shifted unhappily, he did not feel that Perez had a right to be chewing out a Roughneck, especially when the alien had done nothing wrong. "Just plant the flag Sarge," Rico insisted. "You can bend his ear after the drill," Perez placed the flag into its podium and the Sim ended, leaving the four of them on the plain hard deck and their squad mates reviving around them.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Debriefing, Concerning Sim exercise.  
  
Higgins  
  
I think I'm past getting embarrassed now when I'm shot first, but to my delight I wasn't the first one down - no one was more surprised by this then I was. "Private Lee was the first down," Razak announced, "An impressive shot by Sergeant Brutto in managing to hit a moving target from afar."  
  
"Team Two won, with only Corporal L'Meariea surviving until the end for team one and due to a truce called between herself and Private T'Phai. As he smartly pointed out this was not against the rules and it did mean that there was one less body to revive at the end of the exercise."  
  
I looked across at the two Skinnie's, who were now standing side by side at the back of the group; T'Phai acknowledged the praise with a nod. Whilst we were not willing to accept the Human members of Romeo squad he had no qualms about the other members of his own kind; I suppose that's what comes of being the only member of your kind in unit. "Corporal Gossard had the fantastic idea of shielding the flag but couldn't get back to implement his idea," Lieutenant Orson admitted, he smiled at Gossard slightly and I noticed the difference in the two LT's styles. Orson was openly caring for his men, allowing them to see him smiling and being relieved; Razak on the other hand I've only rarely seen smile and whilst he cares for us all he seems to have more weight with the squads.  
  
"Right, team two can collect their prizes now. Your all dismissed, I recommend you hit the sack soon, we arrive on Tophet at 0800 tomorrow!" Orson roared, we all left or collected their prizes and then left, I hung back slightly and waited for everyone else to leave.  
  
"Private T'Phai, Corporal L'Meariea a minute." Razak said as they were leaving, I passed through the door and couldn't help but wonder what he had to say.  
  
~*~*~ 


	5. The Point

~*~*~  
  
T'Phai  
  
After training, all I wanted was to talk to Ellen and to see how T'Alos was doing; my very brief experiences with him had given me insights into his nature that I plan to use. T'Alos is nothing more then a child, he has a great deal demanded of him a fair sight more then I ever had at his age and that is great weight to sit upon his shoulders. L'Meariea and I had sat up with him for most of the night, he had been unwell, assuring him that he would be all right when he returned to Tophet, something we were unsure of ourselves.  
  
Something still does not seem right about this whole situation, why are they sending us back to Tophet with two psychics? When they told us that we were not likely to return home during service. No something was not right and we would find our soon enough.  
  
"Private T'Phai, Corporal L'Meariea a minute." Razak said as we were leaving the bay to return to our own barracks. We turned to him almost in time due to the speed of our reactions. "There are new uniforms awaiting you in your barracks, you will not be required to wear a helmet but I must point out the fact that where we are going is likely to be dark at times."  
  
"Where are we going sir?" L'Meariea asked boldly, I remained silent I would never ask such a question.  
  
"Into the caves on the other side of Tophet to where you both come from," He told us both, I started ever so slightly.  
  
"But sir, doing so is suicidal." I said despite myself, "The beings that live there are not to be trusted and they are un-evolved and primeval,"  
  
"Strangely enough Higgins said something like that upon meeting you all for the first time."  
  
"I concur with T'Phai sir, it is not safe to go there, and all children are told so."  
  
There was a silence and I realised something in a flourish. "SICON thinks that there is a Brain bug there, do they not?" I asked sharply, I knew I was right and I knew that this was the only sensible reason; how else would the control bugs have kept control over the enslaved members of my kind after the Brain Bug in my city had been exterminated?  
  
He looked to me, I knew that I was one of the few people he felt he owed the truth in these maters to; I was a leader too after all. "Yes," He told us simply, there was another pause that lingered in the air like a bad smell. "You are not to tell any one of that yet, am I making myself clear?"  
  
"Yes sir," We answered and he dismissed us.  
  
We did not speak on the short walk back to our barracks, I was not in the right mood to speak of it and it was clear she was not either. We entered the small barracks to be greeted by T'Alos and Ellen; I shoved down the thoughts of the brain bug hiding them away from T'Alos who had to have known already.  
  
"Where have you two been?" Ellen asked, her blue eyes fixed on the bar of chocolate I carried. I threw it to her without warning and she caught it; it was an unspoken rule that I gave her any chocolate I had due to my reactions to it in the past. "Thanks, you didn't answer my question."  
  
"Razak wanted to speak with us both, about our new uniforms for work on Tophet."  
  
"Oh, why bother with new ones? Your old ones are just the same," She flicked a glance to my bunk where mine was lying and she was right. Mine was the same; I would have thought they would have chosen a camouflaged colour rather then green!  
  
I then noticed a slight imperfection in the fabric and reached to pluck it off; the cover about the suit came off in my grasp. It was just the film that was green and not the actual suit, the suit itself was orange with golden swirls on it like my green one. "It is green is it?" I asked in a slightly teasing voice, she was used to my being like this.  
  
She looked over at it and then at me, "Ok, ok, that's orange, mum always said I was colour-blind!" I realised her joke and let her have it I was not in the habit for cutting her down for her little teases.  
  
"Welcome back T'Alos, I am glad to see you are feeling better." I greeted the younger being with a fond manner I usually reserved for my own young; there was something wrong about allowing a youth of his age to join the forces and I could not help but feel that he should be at home with his mother.  
  
He bowed his head, ~I know I am young but I am still needed Colonel,~ I gave a slight start as I heard his voice in my head; I did not know he could do what he was doing. ~Yeah, I do see it as a little odd too.~ He was smiling at me from where he was sitting next to Ellen.  
  
Quite probably noticing the look of shock on my face, L'Meariea turned to him. "It is not nice to do that and you will hurt yourself." She instructed and her tone was very reminiscent of my mothers or of L'War's when she had told off T'Phal and M'Rette.  
  
"That is the good news that we have for you,"  
  
I noticed that my friend and the young being beside her wore similar expressions, it was very close to a maniacal smile, and I was quite disturbed by it. "Ellen has found a way to stop the psychical symptoms, I would merely faint were I to use my powers excessively. I can live with that, it is better then being cut for merely moving a book to my hand." To prove a point to us both he drew a book, which Higgins had leant me, to his open hand with a smile.  
  
L'Meariea did not look convinced, her expression was decisively cynical and I supposed mine must have been too; I do not see how a being who has been told time and again that he cannot use his powers without hurting himself is suddenly able to do so without a slight scar.  
  
"To be fair I may just have held off the symptoms," Ellen admitted, it took very little for her to doubt herself and her achievements; she did not think a lot of some of the incredible things she can do. "He may not show the pain until an hour or so later but at least then he can finish what he starts."  
  
T'Alos looked at us both and I realised suddenly that L'Meariea and I were his parent figures - he had lost his mother during the Human's campaign on Tophet and his father had been killed years before, he had to have someone to look up to and care for him.  
  
I sat myself on the bunk next to his own, facing him; his eyes fixed on me like that of my own child's when seeking approval. "It is better for you this way?" I queried in a soft voice and he nodded. "Then it is better for us all." L'Meariea remained standing by the beds edge, she may have known T'Alos longer but she may not know him as well as I did.  
  
~She knows me well enough,~  
  
Focusing slightly so I could speak back I did so, *She does not know what you need, she does not know what you desire of us both, she is not a parent.*  
  
~No, but she has cared for me longer then you have.~  
  
~*~*~  
  
0800, Arrival on Tophet.  
  
The Roughnecks and Romeo squad arrived on Tophet precisely when then intended too; arriving at the base they would be staying at. They would not have time to acclimate themselves to the atmosphere and they would be out on patrol as soon as they were ready.  
  
T'Alos, L'Meariea and T'Phai all wore an orange suit with gold swirls and at points it would be clear that they would all be perfectly camouflaged, unlike the Human's who wore green. Ellen had said, upon seeing T'Phai in his new uniform that he would be very lucky not to be lost in the vast desert of Tophet wearing that shade of orange and made another dig at his old Colonel's uniform.  
  
For most of the human's it would be their first meeting with T'Alos, who was deciding to be more mysterious then his peers by not talking very much. "Hey Carl," Dizzy got her friends attention noticing an air of almost disgust from him towards the other psychic. "Are you getting an attack of the green eyed monster?" He rounded on her, and she backed down; he was definitely jealous of the Skinnie.  
  
"Please, he's a child." Carl insisted but his tone was one of such coldness that she could not help but think he was a little jealous.  
  
Razak and Orson led them to a cave, which SICON had decided was important but had not sent anyone to check out yet. "Use extreme caution, SICON is convinced that there are Skinnie's still controlled here!" Razak ordered as they entered the cave, all of them went on automatic alert.  
  
~*~*~ An hour later, Dead end.  
  
"Are either of you getting anything?" Razak asked the two psychics, T'Alos waited to see what Carl would say. The units were in a cavern towards the middle of a cave network, which a SICON mapping tool had marked out; it was dark but as L'Meariea had pointed out there was light coming in from somewhere because neither she nor the other Skinnies had weakened.  
  
"There's something here,"  
  
T'Alos nodded to agree with Carl, "There are several, I believe I can pick up twelve additional thought patterns." Carl scowled slightly and it was clear he was very envious of T'Alos's higher psychic prowess. The cavernous room was a perfect area for attack, everyone was clearly aware of that for Orson had looked ready to give the same order as Razak.  
  
A constrictor blast shot flew past Doc's head and splattered on the ground by Higgins feet, the reporter raised his camera in the direction of the shooter after taking a step back. "Skinnie's on the ridge," He yelled out. They all turned that way, some of them already drawing weapons.  
  
"Cover, don't shoot back, T'Phai concussion weapon." Razak ordered all at once, the Skinnie officer, after flattening himself behind a rock pulled the weapon from his backpack, a new addition since his time as a colonel and pointed it at the shooter.  
  
Brutto threw a cautious look over his own shoulder towards the cave mouth, "We're surrounded, there's no way out of here without a fight."  
  
"Will one of you give me something I can use?"  
  
T'Alos nodded, "There are six of my kind here and they are all under control by the bugs, there are more bugs approaching our location and T'Phai's going to miss his first shot and hit you," Razak looked a little startled, T'Phai made sure he was pointing the weapon away from his LT, they would need his judgements.  
  
"L'Meariea, did your bring your concussion weapon too?"  
  
"Yes sir," She removed it from her own backpack and held it out to him from where she was crouched behind a rock. Higgins was recording the two Skinnie officers more closely then the others, he had never seen their agility as clearly as he was now; it was incredible to see two beings taller then himself manage to hid themselves so well. T'Phai was not down as well as L'Meariea, he needed a clear line of shot after all and the only way for him to get that would be to prioritise it over his hiding. Another barrage of constrictor blasts flew towards them, one catching Gossard's foot.  
  
Rico broke his own cover and dragged the other Roughneck into a poor shelter; removing the constrictor solvent from Gossard's pocket to free him. "Right, T'Phai set up cover, Brutto take L'Meariea's weapon and assist him; Doc check Gossard and all you other apes move it!" Razak ordered; they did as he said.  
  
There was a clutter as T'Phai's weapon fell to the ground, all turned to him, T'Phai rarely dropped his weapon; he made no effort to retrieve it his eyes fixed on the ridge. T'Alos followed his gaze, knowing already what he had spotted. "What's the problem Private?" Orson demanded, being closest to him at the time.  
  
"It is L'War," T'Alos said chiefly so T'Phai was saved the pain of having too, "She is up on the ridge," The Roughnecks looked up to the ridge whereas Romeo Squad looked confused. T'Phai's shock had given the Skinnies against them an advantage, now that everyone's attention was focused on the ridge they could close in.  
  
Feeling it was time for them to move Razak started to bark orders. "Weapons out, only shoot to wound not to kill. T'Alos, L'Meariea, I want you on the flank." Razak ordered; aware of T'Phai's emotional connection to his wife he made a bold move. "T'Phai I want you on point!" T'Phai woke abruptly from his own silent daydream, he nodded, retrieved the weapon and took the position assigned him.  
  
It was a credit to his strength that he did not look back once, he kept moving - his own reasons for this were multiple, if he looked back, he was sure he could no longer go forward and the most important of which, this was his fault. He had made the situation worse by loosing his focus.  
  
~*~*~  
  
20:00 Base, Private medical quarters.  
  
Ellen  
  
People think I'm stupid, I know that and if I ever care then someone will have to let me know; I knew that I hadn't cured T'Alos's problem permanently but I had delayed his reactions to the use of his psychic abilities which meant he had warning before he was hurt.  
  
I was sitting alone in my room, when it comes to Human's the only ones I really know are the Roughnecks and they don't see me as a friend, no the only friends that mattered to me were my honest and loyal Skinnie friends who cared when something bad happened to you.  
  
My music system was on and playing my favourite music, well mine and my mums, Queen; I could sit and listen to Freddie's fantastic vocals for hours, especially when it had the guitar work of Brian May to top it off, the whole band were amazing! I did this a lot of the time, I'd even tried introducing Teph to it . It didn't really work but it was worth a try!  
  
My comm panel bleeped and I knew whom it would be, no one else bothered with me so it had to be one of the Skinnies and I was more likely to think T'Phai for I've known him longer. I activated it, sure enough, it was him and he looked . sad.  
  
"What is it?" I asked I wasn't annoyed at him; I was concerned I wanted to know what was wrong with him to make him forget his exterior appearance enough to let me see his sorrow.  
  
He tried to say something, his voice failed him and he just looked at me. Somehow, this upset me more then if he had told me what he was going to say, I knew that it was something really bad now. Sensing the pain T'Phai was feeling T'Alos stepped towards the screen.  
  
"L'War was in the cave, she was working against us." I have never known such a simple sentence to cause me such pain, not my pain obviously, because she wasn't my wife! I was sorry for T'Phai. He had been looking her and missing her for years and now she was there fighting against him!  
  
"Oh . Teph ." My own voice failed me and I fell away to tears on his behalf, he couldn't cry himself after all being from Tophet. I turned off the panel and shut down what I was listening to, making my way to the barracks where T'Phai was; I had to be there for him now more then ever.  
  
When I'd pulled on the powersuit in the air lock and waited for the air around me to change, I entered; cursing out loud for my human clumsiness. We are an impractical race; not being able to breathe Methane is a big problem when your best friend is a Skinnie.  
  
I didn't say anything and neither did anyone else, L'Meariea and T'Alos were sitting nearby, both showing their own silent respect for his pain and staying out of the way. I sat on the bunk besides him and, with no more then a seconds thought threw my arms around him in a hug; trying to stem my own tears because I can't dry them inside the suit.  
  
No one moved for the next quarter of an hour, I could feel my friend shuddering against my shoulder and I have never known him to do this, it scared me in a funny kind of way. I've seen T'Phai do loads of stuff, including fixing his busted ribs when we'd first met without as much as a thought but now he was truly defeated. He had shook but then he had a physical reason.  
  
A noise caught his attention; T'Alos had opened a cupboard by his own bunk, probably for bandages and the moment was over. I let him go and sat with my head down and my eyes watching my gloved hands. "She was controlled by the bugs, there is still hope for her." The youngest member of the group insisted, he was looking at me, I could feel it.  
  
I looked up and was staring strait into his big black eyes, "T'Alos is right Teph. There is still hope for her." I tried to drive the uncertainty from my voice; T'Alos nodded slightly showing me that this was the right thing to do. "There really is, I can see it."  
  
When T'Phai spoke it was very strange, I've never heard him sound so stuffy before, his tones were quiet and for the first time ever, very uncertain. "What if she is doing this of her own free will?" He queried softly, when he raised his head to look into my eyes, I could see how hurt his features looked.  
  
"She was not, I read the bug within her mind, and she did nothing of her own free will just then."  
  
"I am going to ask Razak to reassign me tomorrow; I will not risk doing what I did today again. I will not risk letting my emotions get in the way of things again. I cannot be responsible for the death of the squads around me!"  
  
I looked to T'Alos for an explanation, ~He dropped his weapon, froze for a while, he was perfectly focused again afterwards.~ I nodded slightly. "Your not going to get anyone killed if you stay with the Roughnecks, you could free her tomorrow yourself." I insisted, maybe a little foolishly because I don't know the whole story.  
  
"I would prefer to stay out of the way."  
  
"And do what? Lay around here moping? I can't be here with you, it may surprise you to learn that I have a job!" Whilst my tone was a little harsh I didn't mean it, I was trying to stop him from making a big mistake and messing up his life.  
  
It worked; he snapped his head towards me and glared with a ferocity I was unused to. "And . to top things off, what'd happen if one of the others hit her? How angry would you be?" He looked at me, his glare softening slightly as to be nearly normal again.  
  
"Very much so, how can I be sure that I will not loose my focus again?"  
  
"I will help you with that all I can," T'Alos assured; I know now better then ever why I'm friends with Skinnie's, they're so nice all of the damn time! Never nasty to anyone and always ready to help one another unlike most human's who can't ever be bothered. "Just listen out for my voice,"  
  
I saw the decision T'Phai was making clearly like the weights on a scales, on one side there was the potential harm he could cause the others and on the other side of the scales was his overwhelming desire just to see L'War again. Just to look upon her face for the first time in over 3 years, to know she was alive if not safe. ~He's staying on duty Ellen Baxter,~  
  
"Quit it with the Baxter!"  
  
The three Skinnie's looked at me, "Oh crap," I muttered. "Ok ok you all know what happened there, T'Alos speaking in head game which he seems to love," T'Phai looked at me, I swear there's a universal 'I'm a patronising parent' face because my best friend was currently pulling it. Obviously it is something that both parents and teachers know and none of us non parental people can't do it. "Fine then, blame me, again!"  
  
I looked out of the corner of my eye at T'Alos and he nodded, this was better for T'Phai then thinking about L'War being only a few minutes march away.  
  
~*~*~  
  
The Next Morning, Patrol at 0350  
  
Higgins  
  
I cannot help but wonder why we go out at this time of the morning, oh wait ok I get it now, if we're not expecting it then the enemy isn't either. I've heard this plan three times and it seems more insane each time, get ourselves into the Skinnie's base to find out information and break ourselves out again afterwards; Madness sheer madness.  
  
T'Alos was humming something to himself; I could only hear it because I was so close to him, he was marching next to me with his mother on the other side. ~She is my friend, my mother is dead.~ I was shocked to hear T'Alos's voice within my head, it scared me half to death myself! ~Sorry, I forget that people are unused to hearing others in their heads, it is so natural for me now.~ I smiled slightly, the kid was weird and we all knew it, he picked up my thought and smiled at me too.  
  
It dawned on me what T'Alos was humming, something I've heard Ellen hum at times too, it was one of her songs; 'The show must go on' I gave a snort due to the irony. The song was one claiming that the show, life, must always go on and there was a being younger then myself humming it.  
  
Ellen had told me his age, well I'd pinned her down about it and he was only sixteen; no human was ever conscripted at sixteen, ~No Skinnie either! I am unusual.~ I thought to him, stop it and he did; he was focused on T'Phai as well, the two kept throwing one another little looks, almost like those of co-conspirators!  
  
Suddenly, T'Alos dropped to the ground loosely, Carl did the same; the two had both picked up something but no one knew what. "There are Skinnie's approaching," Carl yelled.  
  
"There are 3 here Einstein," Brutto sneered; he hated the psychic's gifts and when they used them it seemed to heighten his bad mood even more. Razak ordered silence; two from Romeo squad fell in behind me; out of the new squad, the Roughnecks still only really got on with L'Meariea. I didn't turn to look at them more then once and then it was only to check who was watching my backside! Corporal Zaphod, their fast shooter who didn't touch T'Phai's skill was behind me along with Private Lee, she was a tanned girl and she was a worse shot then I was, behind the two of them Dizzy, and Rico and on our actual rear, was Doc in his marauder.  
  
We waited for a minute as Razak made T'Alos tap into his predictive powers, he could do this unlike Carl, who could only really have future flashes when they came to him. I watched as the two older Skinnies kept a watchful eye on the younger one almost as if he were their own child; I wasn't surprised, T'Phai was a parent after all and parents keep an eye on everyone's kids due to instinct.  
  
"They are coming this way, L'War and two others, they know we are here." T'Alos mumbled, his lip catching on his large buckteeth. "They will be here in a matter of seconds, there is no escape from this cave; the entrance is about to be blocked by warrior bugs."  
  
"X Ray guns out!" Orson ordered, I groped for the weapon on the order, not listening to a Lieutenant was life or death and I didn't really want to die quite yet. "Watch one another's behinds; there is no telling where a control bug will come from!"  
  
"T'Phai, get your can up front; Doc watch our rears, we're going out the way we came in!" Razak ordered, T'Phai nodded and filed into the position assigned to him by his leader; that had to feel a little strange for him being a colonel and referring to a Lieutenant as boss. Behind me Lee was moaning, she said that the two psychics were bad because they had gotten us into this situation already and she was moaning to Zaphod about Razak's decision as well.  
  
"The Skinnie froze yesterday; I mean what's Razak trying to do? Get us all killed?" As she finished I rounded on her, glad to see that Rico and Dizzy were ready to defend T'Phai and Razak with me. I didn't move towards her, neither did Dizzy or Rico, we were fine where we were.  
  
"The Lt would never do anything to get us greased," Rico snapped, his voice was barely above a whisper so that the man himself didn't hear. "He knows that T'Phai feels crap about yesterday, he's giving him a chance; something you should understand!"  
  
"What do you mean by that?"  
  
"C'mon princess, it doesn't take a psychic to figure what he meant," Dizzy sneered; this was her ball field so to speak, Dizzy is great when it came to speaking her mind and this tended to mean being cruel. "Your shooting in training was poor, even Higgins managed to shoot more people then you and he's a reporter! No offence Bobby," She threw a rapid apology to me, which I accepted with a bow of my head.  
  
"What's going on?" Doc asked he looked down on our little argument from where he was in his marauder; the duck shaped thing had been given special support for walking in the sand and not sinking.  
  
"Nothing," I insisted innocently, "Private Lee doesn't think Razak was right putting T'Phai on point we're just helping her to see she was wrong." A slightly dubious look crossed his face but he didn't push what I was saying. Nothing more was said, I think what Dizzy had said had hit Lee a little harder then it had seemed to at first and she remained silent.  
  
From a small passage to our rights emerged a small gathering, I saw that I wasn't the only one looking towards T'Phai as they emerged. I can't imagine what he must be going through, L'War was fighting on the wrong side and whilst he knew it wasn't her choice, I suppose there's always the issue of whether or not she was acting of her own free will.  
  
"Bugs at six o'clock," Doc announced, he was the only one facing our exit. I turned and saw that there were a hoard of bugs in the entrance, there was only one way out of this room too and that was where the bugs were. This cave network was an invaders nightmare, there was nowhere for us to run.  
  
One of the Skinnie was speaking, L'Meariea looked to T'Phai and nodded; I assumed the decision over who would translate was made. "Humans, Skinnie aligned soldiers you are to perish."  
  
"Real nice wife you got there," McKenzie sneered coldly, his manner was as pale and cold as his face looked. It was a shock to say the least when T'Phai rounded on him and hit him on the arm; which probably wouldn't hurt McKenzie at all through his powersuit. I've never seen the freed T'Phai so mad that he'd hit out, Rico had told us of that time when T'Phai had been ill and Rico had made the alien mad on purpose to warm him up but that was different.  
  
No one said anything, T'Phai remained fuming slightly but a little way from McKenzie, he was confused and it showed clearly. Someone discharged an x ray gun and the moment was gone in a flash; soon we were all trying to hit the three Skinnie's with the high beam.  
  
L'War's two companions went down, bugs bursting from their necks; I could hear the desperate yells L'War was giving and I was quite sure I didn't need a translation. The Bugs descended on us all, one grabbed McKenzie and carried him away in its jaws. I looked to the other Roughnecks, they'd hit the instant replay button too; this stank of Hydora and it had unnerved us all.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Captured by the bugs, Centre chamber of the cave.  
  
The two squads were dropped to the ground, pushed by their bugs into the obedience position of slaves; T'Phai was unconscious but he was the only member of the squad who had been hurt in any way. "Are we all here?" Razak queried into his mike.  
  
"All Romeo squad are present and correct,"  
  
Rico was in the middle of doing the rapid count up and looked sideways towards his LT. "Sir Doc's not here, I didn't even see what happened to him," Rico announced when Orson was finished, "He may have gotten away."  
  
"You hope to highly," Lee sneered. "The guy was in a marauder, there's no hope in hell." T'Alos looked across towards her, he was grinning slightly despite the gravity of the situation; he was pinned down to the ground but he could still lift his head to see around easily enough.  
  
He looked to Rico, "You are right, Corporal LaCroix is safe and healthy, he is returning to base for backup as we speak." Relief set in over them as they realised there was a very small chance at rescue.  
  
A tender look crossed over L'Meariea's face that none of the others noticed as she looked towards her erstwhile Colonel, she was concerned about his health from a strictly professional viewpoint. "What happened to T'Phai?" L'Meariea asked, she looked towards T'Alos and then towards Higgins because she thought he may have some medical knowledge because he knew Ellen.  
  
From the other side of T'Phai, Mikwell looked at the Skinnie besides her closely. "Guessing by the cut on his head he was knocked unconscious," She muttered. "It's a bloody mess," She had meant bloody in both ways, the cut was easily a nasty one that would need medical attention when they were back at base. "I think he'll be out for a while, lucky bastard he gets to be unconscious!"  
  
They all knew what she meant and most of them agreed, T'Phai was less likely to feel torture pain being unconscious already. From a recess in the cave there was a commotion, something heavy was moving their way. T'Alos and Carl both looked to Razak who shook his head; there was no point in scaring everyone yet. The large white and brown brain bug emerged from the recess, walking by its side was L'War but she was the only Skinnie there.  
  
"Your petty, pathetic minds have only one use now; you will fuel your foes strength." L'Meariea translated for them, her voice sounded harrowed and terrified. "Ironic really, that you fight against our cause and your feeble minds will feed your efforts in your races extermination."  
  
"I guess we're up for the permanent head split," Brutto guessed; Razak looked to him, the pinpoint laser in his prosthetic arm was working but it would not be enough against the bugs and Skinnies within the vast cave network. "I thought we'd already killed one of those things!"  
  
With a thought of clarity that seemed to have evaded him as so far due to the blinding childish jealousy he felt toward T'Alos, Carl decided that it was time to tell the others what INTEL had told him to say. "We did," he spoke up from his side, "There was another one, Tophet is a big planet and the interference in the air is high due to the heat." Razak nodded, typical INTEL description for a situation - blame anything except their precious psychics.  
  
"We need to get back to base and soon, T'Phai's wound will need treating soon if it is to be healed."  
  
"Are you hearing this?" Carl rounded as best he could on T'Alos; he motioned his head to dictate that it was a bug's thought pattern. All of a sudden his jealousy was back with vengeance, he did not have anything against T'Alos when he did not speak. "We are not going to live long enough for him to be treated."  
  
T'Alos said nothing; he was busy watching L'War and the bug. "Say T'Phai's name repetitively, then watch L'War's reaction." They did so, each watching closely the effect it had on the enslaved Skinnie; she was flinching, each time the past and familiar word was spoken, she flinched.  
  
"The bug is not in complete control of her mind, this was starting to happen with my own when I was freed," L'Meariea explained. "The bug has been on her for too long and her mind is getting back some of its own control."  
  
They watched as a warrior bug selected one of them, it dragged Sergeant Perez to the brain bug and set him down before it. The brain bugs feeder extended towards Perez's head, "Focus on my voice," Carl insisted.  
  
"That is not going to work,"  
  
"Shut up," Carl snapped at T'Alos. "Focus on my voice, concentrate." The Brain bug squealed in piercing pain, when the sound had died away they looked to it and saw the cut on its face, its feeder had been snapped in two.  
  
"What the hell happened?"  
  
When Zaphod snapped out his question to Carl, the pale faced youth looked to T'Alos, who gave the slightest shrug in his shoulders. "I am sorry there was nothing else to be done; I did not want to see somebody die."  
  
When the shock settled like a dust cloud they all started to think on their situation, "There's only one course of action," Razak surmised. "We have to destroy that brain, it is too risky to try and capture it due to the beings it controls. Jenkins, T'Alos, you know what to do. This is not the time for professional envy, I want that bug destroyed!"  
  
Carl looked to T'Alos, who gave the slightest tiny smile; he had never had anything against Carl after all. "Alright," Carl muttered, he looked towards Rico and Dizzy. ~You do this for them?~  
  
*I do it for everyone I know,*  
  
~Then I do it for them as well, I have no family of my own.~  
  
Focusing both their powers the psychics stared at the Brain bug, the bug was blown up instantaneously and the cave started to collapse. The Roughnecks and Romeo squad collected their teammates, the bugs had scattered moments before the Brain had been destroyed as if sensing the psychic brain waves, and ran to the cave entrance.  
  
It was not until they were outside that some raised the very expected question. "What about L'War?" L'Meariea asked, "Are we going to leave her there to die?" her voice playing with hurt at the idea of leaving another of her kind behind, or maybe she was just voicing out their collective thoughts.  
  
"It's too dangerous to go after her now corporal, T'Phai would understand that, she may have gotten out already."  
  
"She's alive," Carl said. "I can feel it." They all looked to him and then to T'Alos who was already stumbling due to what he had just done; Carl walked to him and helped him along. The selfless nature of the Skinnie using his gifts was a shock and a surprise because he had no one to fight for.  
  
~*~*~ 


	6. Recovery

~*~*~  
  
Base Medical bay Skinnie treatment bays.  
  
"How's he doing?" Rico asked, Ellen turned to the glass pane, which separated the two bays, not allowing any seepage between the two. Because the base was on Tophet, the room T'Phai and T'Alos had been brought back to was open to the outside atmosphere, with windows allowing them to see out.  
  
"Which one?" She queried, she was caring for the two Skinnies because she knew them both well and she felt that she needed too. T'Alos had been sent into a coma by the use of his powers, blowing up a Brain bug was no small feat and it had had a reaction with the Skinnie.  
  
"Both,"  
  
She looked over her shoulder towards the bay as if checking herself, which was ridiculous because she knew the answer anyway. "Well T'Alos has been awake today; I had to send him to sleep again." Ellen smiled slightly, "He needs to recuperate. T'Phai on the other hand is awake, a little on the woozy side and in need of rest I don't think it's time for visitors yet."  
  
The Roughnecks and Romeo squad left to go out on patrol, leaving her with her two charges. She hated to see the pain of her friend, hated to see that he was hurt and that he could not yet remember what had exactly happened in the caves.  
  
~*~*~  
  
4 days later Medical Wing Skinnie Treatment bays.  
  
It was roughly midday, if there were such a thing on Tophet, when L'Meariea entered the bay; her domed helmet removed and rested inside the airlock. "I brought them some food; I thought that fresh food from Tophet may help their recovery." L'Meariea informed Ellen. Ellen took the sealed container from her grasp and set it on a workbench. L'Meariea was used to being alone; being a Skinnie in a primarily Human infantry meant that she was assigned to be by herself a lot but every time before she had been alone because she had had no choice and not because her friends had been injured.  
  
"L'War?!"  
  
Ellen closed her eyes in a long blink as her friend yelled his wife's name in his fitful sleep, there had been no sign of L'War since T'Phai had been admitted and no one had told him yet. "Up and at 'em Teph, its lunch time." She roused her friend with the sound of her voice; he looked at her, his big black eyes locking with her grey blue ones. "L'Meariea brought you some good Tophet food rather then the junk we have here."  
  
She left him waking up properly and walked to T'Alos's bunk, "T'Alos come to now," She instructed pulling him out of the hypnotic sleep she would be ending that day. He opened his eyes and yawned, sitting himself up to look at her. "You're looking good for a coma patient." He thanked her softly and she smiled.  
  
On her way back to T'Phai's side, she plucked a bandage from the rack; she sat on his cot. He was now seated with his legs over the side of it, ready for her to check his wound. With the care of a learned doctor, she removed the bandage on his head and prepared to bandage it again. The cut would not leave a scar but the area around it would be very sore for a long while still and it was still bleeding a little. "How are you doing now?"  
  
He looked to her, his eyes shining all too visibly. "She is dead is she not?" She turned her gaze from him, unable to hold the puppy like look he was giving her against his will. He gave a slight shake of his head lowering his gaze to his hands, which were rested on his knees. "I see; has there been a burial yet?"  
  
"What? No, we haven't seen hide or hair of her yet. The cave you were in collapsed after you all got out," Ellen was trying to be assuring not knowing that she was failing in huge amounts. "I think she's still alive."  
  
"She is still lost?"  
  
"Yeah,"  
  
"Then I have to go and find her," He pushed himself up and swayed slightly due to the distortion caused by his wound; with a closeness acquired through friendship, she pushed him down gently by his chest.  
  
"Not right now you don't, this is my field of expertise Teph, my ball game; you have to do what I say!" Within the med bay Ellen was the boss, she held the highest rank whilst there and was in charge. No one did anything, without dire cause, if a doctor had said that it was not the thing to do.  
  
"She is my wife Ellen, the one I have chosen to spend my life with, the one I chose to share my life with; I will not abandon her!"  
  
"We will find her," T'Alos spoke up for the first time, L'Meariea scowled at him. "No usage I swear," He and T'Phai held a look, the younger being smiled. ~Go and get the gift Ellen,~  
  
*Oh yeah, I knew I'd forgotten something!* She stood from the bunk and left to room via the airlock, she pulled off her helmet and shook her hair free of the suit with a smile. Her grin widen as she moved to greet her guests, she had a lot of explaining to do but that was her job, the nice side of her job.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Ellen entered the bay again, her helmet fixed tightly over her head again. She motioned for her guests to follow her. There was a dream like feel to the room as she let them enter; all the Skinnie's in the room seemed to be in a kind of trance; looking at the creature's diminutive to themselves, the eldest of the two was roughly Ellen's height.  
  
T'Alos then let out a soft laugh; he looked on the two small beings with a fond smile. T'Phai did not move from where he was seated on the bunk but a light of fond recognition came into his eyes as he watched them. "T'Phal, M'Rette?" He asked, this was the only acknowledgment the two needed and then ran to their father's side.  
  
He reached to hug them both at the same time, a broad grin on his face as he breathed in their scents. "Oh, Ellen thank you so much." Ellen leant against the wall nearby, her back rested against the walls smooth face. M'Rette pulled free of her fathers grasp and ran over to Ellen, her arms held out for a hug. She chose to speak their language because the children would not yet know English.  
  
With a broader smile, Ellen hugged the child with a warmness usually reserved for family. "I'm not going to say it was nothing because it was difficult getting a pass for these two scamps, but it's been worth it." M'Rette let her go and looked into her eyes.  
  
"Your daddy's friend,"  
  
"I think so,"  
  
"She is indeed,"  
  
Ellen looked towards T'Alos, after his earlier outburst laugh he had said nothing and she noticed the sorry look on his face. Inwardly cursing her own stupidity, she sat by him meaning to apologise, T'Alos had no family seeing T'Phai with his young had to make him feel jealous. ~I'm not jealous, just sad.~  
  
~*~*~  
  
T'Phai  
  
My delight at seeing my young again was incredible; there is no other way of explaining it. For months, I have thought of nothing but my family and now I am here with them, L'War is still held captive but being on the same planet as her makes me feel more hopeful for the future.  
  
I found myself watching T'Alos frequently whilst my offspring were here, M'Rette seemed fascinated in him and had barely left him alone, she was a very inquisitive youngster and she was attentive to everything around her. "She is psychic," A voice rippled into my head without consideration of what I was thinking.  
  
"Pardon?" I queried not understanding, T'Alos was looking at me from across the room, his eyes locking with my own. I got a sickening feeling in my stomach that I knew who he meant but I did not want to accept it. His eyes held sympathy and respect for me.  
  
"M'Rette, she can hide it, I can teach her, then she need not go through what I have gone through!"  
  
I recognised the tone of remorse in his voice, he was genuinely sorry for his own state and ways; he did not want what had been forced upon him. I stood and moved to his bunk so I could talk to him more confidentially. "You can teach her?"  
  
"I think I can, she will not need a lot of help; she is a very smart child," He looked towards the glass window, someone other then Ellen was there. "Later," T'Alos insisted to me and I nodded. I had a lot to think about and I realised I would have to go elsewhere to do it.  
  
~*~*~  
  
A week after the death of the brain bug Male Human barracks  
  
Higgins  
  
With the brain bug destroyed the only real reason we were still on Tophet was clean up detail, at least that's what SICON said; for the Roughnecks this couldn't help but be personal. Due to the wound he gained, T'Phai was unable to join us on duty yet; Ellen was still making sure that he was all right to be back on duty in a few days time.  
  
I was the only one in the male barracks; Brutto and Rico were weight training, Doc and Gossard were in mess, I've not seen Diz in a while and Carl was out on duty with another unit. I liked it quiet, don't get me wrong I like the others but they can be a little . crazy.  
  
The door bleeped, I called for whoever was outside to enter. The door opened allowing T'Alos entry, I looked to him in surprise and he looked back. "Do you wish for a story?" The Skinnie asked me bluntly for his species, I nodded. What else was I supposed to do? It's my job to chase stories.  
  
"Yeah, go on then,"  
  
"I know where L'War is, or roughly where she is." He was right in thinking there was a story here, a major one at that. He started for the door, pausing for me to gather up my gear. "There is a little way to go, but we can walk it."  
  
~*~*~ 


	7. Reasons

~*~*~  
  
"Why are you doing this T'Alos?" Higgins queried of the Skinnie as he marched, the Skinnie stiffened his lip more then usual and looked at Higgins.  
  
"It is personal now,"  
  
Higgins lowered his camera and looked at the alien, gently palming it off. "It wasn't before," Higgins realised aloud. "What did you have to fight for before? There was nothing but memories for you, and those were of Humans hurting those you love and not bugs, what's changed?" T'Alos looked away from him and across the desert.  
  
A small flickering smile crossed T'Alos's face and he looked back to Higgins, "T'Phai has said that he will take me in, as his own; I can have a family again." Higgins grinned widely; it was only fair for T'Alos to be happy again. "He and Ellen are seeing if there is any way for me to remain of Tophet,"  
  
"That's going to be difficult, I'll see what I can turf up and I'll see about the others helping too."  
  
~*~*~  
  
L'Meariea  
  
Now that the other two members of my kind were present in the barracks, I was feeling a little better, almost as if their being here was making me feel better too. I entered the small barrack alone, I had been visiting my family on the other side of the planet, a small piece of paper was tacked to the inner door, scrawled loosely on it in my language was a note. I plucked it from the door, holding it at the correct distance from my face to view it. 'Following a hunch, T'Alos.' With an involuntary angry growl, I scrunched the note in my grasp.  
  
"This is L'Meariea to T'Phai,"  
  
"T'Phai here,"  
  
"Are you on the base?"  
  
"I got back moments ago, why is there a problem?"  
  
Oh how little this male understood, what did he think I had called him for? A casual chat? My heart was double timing, skipping beats every so often as I worried about my younger comrade no he was not just my comrade he was my friend and to a certain degree, my son. "T'Alos has gone out to look for L'War, alone." There was a noise on the other side of the comm; T'Phai was outside the Human barracks.  
  
I know it is rude to eavesdrop, but I could not help but do it, I was worried. "Higgins is missing," Rico was telling T'Phai, the member of my kind rapidly filled him in on the state of affairs. "So you think that they've gone off after L'War?" The Human directed his question to me; I could not help but snap out my reply.  
  
"Where else could they be?"  
  
"I think we should inform the lieutenant," T'Phai's voice queried reasonably, he was right; all I had done was escalate things beyond reason; Razak would know what to do. I mumbled an apology to T'Phai for thinking that he had put this stupid idea into T'Alos's head and he accepted it.  
  
I marched to the small office Razak had been assigned to share with Lieutenant Orson, the other two met me there and the others, including their psychic, had joined them. It touched me that they were willing to do this for their own man, the young reporter seemed to get himself into almost as much trouble as T'Alos.  
  
Razak became aware of the noise outside, marching out to see what the commotion was. We had a lot of explaining to do and knowing the two young beings, not a lot of time to do so in before they got themselves into trouble.  
  
~*~*~  
  
"Uh, T'Alos you did explain where we were going to someone didn't you?" Higgins queried somewhat nervously, an insane smile crossed the Skinnie's face but Higgins did not see it because he was marching behind T'Alos. The route had led them back to the cave, which was now more unstable then before and collapsed in upon itself.  
  
"Sort of,"  
  
Stopping in his tracks, Higgins looked shocked before having to continue to keep up with the Skinnie. "You didn't tell L'Meariea or T'Phai?" There was a slump in T'Alos's shoulders when he turned to the reporter.  
  
"They are not my parents, I have no parents, and this is a surprise for T'Phai, a thank you for a kind offer I realise now I cannot accept." T'Alos gave a sniff, he had realised after he had told Higgins of T'Phai's offer that he could not take the other Skinnie up on it. It was not fair on T'Phai and his family if something bad happened to them due to his powers, he would teach M'Rette and then leave as was intended. T'Alos marched on his reserve sealed by the thought of the child he hoped to help, not looking towards Higgins again; "She is close, I can feel her thoughts now; she is very weak, we must now hurry."  
  
~*~*~  
  
Ellen  
  
I wasn't allowed to go out with the squads after my friends, T'Phai had been the one to tell me not to go and I paid heed to that due to our friendship but I wanted to go after them both. The others had been out for over an hour and trace decay on the notes ink had proved that T'Alos had written it three hours ago.  
  
There was a knock on the bays outer door; I was treating a Skinnie officer at the time, who I looked towards. "Are you expecting visitors?" She shook her head slightly; rarely were patients visited within this bay. I moved tentatively towards the door, the tapping had reasoning to it. "Uh do you know Morse code?"  
  
"The person outside is saying that they need to come in, they have wounded."  
  
I keyed the door with a hand; it opened allowing the three beings entry. "T'Alos, Higgins, where the hell have you been?" I snapped violently, I was angry with them for going away without telling my friends where they were, for making us all so angry and worried.  
  
"Rather then worry about that now you have to treat L'War, she is weakening."  
  
I took a pause for thought, the damn kid was right, I couldn't very well leave L'War unconscious and dying in the two boys grasp; I helped them to move her to a cot and started her treatment. "Higgins, contact Razak and bring them all back, you two have got a lot of explaining to do." I couldn't keep the hint of relief from my voice, for all their faults the two young men had done well and I knew T'Alos knew this but let him have it; I could just imagine the look of delight on my best friends face when he got back.  
  
~*~*~  
  
No one yelled at T'Alos or Higgins and there were odd looks on both sides, and sneering glares but nothing phased the two. It was apparent that at some time the two would be yelled at and told off but the Roughnecks were worried about L'War because of T'Phai, and T'Alos had been unconscious since the night of L'War's return.  
  
There was still clean up detail to be run and such but Razak gave T'Phai compassionate leave so he could be there when his wife woke, Ellen had said simply that it would have been impossible to get the Skinnie to leave whilst L'War was unconscious anyway.  
  
Romeo squad and Alpha team were split that week to allow for two smaller patrol groups rather then one big one, both squads were not very upset to have the others leaving them. The units would be stationed on Tophet for a while longer running mop-ups and they would still be sharing barracks so they would still see one another, much to their constant loathing.  
  
"This is amazing," Ellen admitted to Higgins when he came down to visit her, he liked Ellen as a friend and got on well with her. She was watching the three Skinnie's through the glass of the medical bays Skinnie side, Higgins had asked her for something to add into his report, he had had his superiors on his back because he had nothing new in his reports. "T'Alos is willing to risk his life saving L'War because T'Phai gave him the offer of a new home, a place for him to belong."  
  
"The end to the use of his psychic powers?"  
  
She looked to him and her plain features creased with a standard smile, "Speaking hypothetically I'd assume so." As he lowered the camera, he pushed the off button looking into her grey eyes. "I suppose that would mean that - I know that's what Teph's aiming for." She moved back from the glass observation window.  
  
"When's he coming back?"  
  
"I'm not so sure he will; he's not left her side in a week, he's not slept in that time either! I'm worried about him, he's my closest friend, I care for him as such but he's being an ignoramus! His love for her is overwhelming everything else; I'd call it lovely were it not so damn stupid! One of the greatest military minds on Tophet reduced to a snivelling wreck because a wife he's not seen in years is returned to him!"  
  
"He's just glad to see her," Higgins could not keep the lingering shock from his voice despite how hard he tried. "You're having an attack of the green eyed monster." She rounded on him with angry eyes a blaze and her fist clenched, he backed up slightly, Ellen was a lot stronger then he was.  
  
"I am not!"  
  
He ignored her indignant protest to continue, "Not a romantic attack, he's your best friend and he's rarely spoken to you for almost a week. How often have you and he held a proper conversation?" She mumbled that it had been a while. "You're just lonely, I know it's not fantastic but we're playing charades tonight with Romeo squad, it's Goss's idea; why don't you come and play."  
  
Thoughtfulness played across her previously sullen face and she looked to his face with a grin, "Sure, count me in!"  
  
~*~*~  
  
L'War stirred slightly, her eyes fighting to gain a purchase of the light of consciousness she had been battling for over the past week. With a heaving effort, her eyelids flickered open; bright light filled her gaze and pain arrested her body rapidly, she remembered the caves collapsing but anything before that was a blur that she did not yet want to clarify.  
  
Closing her eyes briefly, she became aware of the soft pressure on her bare right arm and the feel of gentle breath. She turned her head that way opening her eyes, with his head rested lightly on her arm, his eyes closed for sleep was a very familiar face. Unable to restrain herself she lifted her left arm and moved it across her aching chest to run a finger down the scar over his left eye lovingly.  
  
As was expected by her touch, he gave a hint of his feeling her there, and blinked open his own eyes; he shut them just after having opened them, abruptly they sprang open again. Raising his head from her arm, he looked at her, shell-shocked.  
  
With an aching throat, L'War managed to croak out a soft greeting, which overjoyed him more then hearing anything else in the world. He threw her arms around her pained form and hugged her, sniffing in deeply her scent; she raised her arm to hug back but could not lift it, it was one of the many breaks she had to heal.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Early morning shift, Medical bay.  
  
Ellen  
  
My mouth felt like a carpet, I should've known that one of the others would have had alcohol! There wasn't enough of it to get us drunk mind you but there was enough to make me feel as if I'd spent the night sleeping, with my mouth open, on a llama!  
  
One of the other doctors handed me a note, it was the patient's profile. I mumbled for him to sleep well and he left; I was the only doctor on now, if others were needed they could be called but there was rarely anything that one doctor couldn't handle. I tossed the notes to one side with practised precision and moved to the Skinnie observation window.  
  
I looked in and could barely contain my shock at seeing both L'War and T'Alos awake, I tugged on a powersuit and entered the bay. "So I take one night off and you both wake up, why do the words bloody and typical spring to mind?" T'Alos looked to me with a smile, and T'Phai stood and looked me directly in the eye.  
  
"L'War this is Doctor Ellen Baxter, she has been responsible for your care."  
  
I didn't show him how hurt I was, now that L'War was awake I was nothing more then the stupid human responsible for her care. ~He did not say that you were stupid!~ T'Alos's voice insisted. I turned to him and appeared to busy myself checking him over.  
  
*He may as well have done, why's he not telling her that I'm his friend?* I picked up a scanner and ran it over his legs, he was not badly hurt which made him very lucky, he had used a lot of his powers to find L'War.  
  
~I did not. He is merely thinking that she may be a little overwhelmed right now.~  
  
I accepted this, if only for a while. "Your husband has been most diligent L'War; he has not left your side in the week that you were here." I informed her, my tone was formal and I didn't look at T'Phai whilst I spoke, if he wanted me to play the doctor then I would; he had shunned my friendship and I could just as well do what he expected of me!  
  
"Can I speak with you Doctor?"  
  
I nodded and went outside with T'Phai; well we walked into the airlock, "What was that about?" He asked me, his tone shocked, I leant against the wall and looked up at him casually; I wasn't worried about him hurting me, yeah I was acting childishly but he was doing it too.  
  
"Nothing, what about you? I'm not just some doctor you picked up along the way, I'm not just a medic - I thought I was your best friend."  
  
He pulled an expression my mother would have been proud of and it freaked me out, he was my best friend not my best friends mother. "I do not understand,"  
  
I scoffed at him against my own will. "No you understand perfectly, the dumb alien thing worked on me for a while but not any more! I am not just someone who's butted into your life for all for five minutes, I've known you for almost half a year now and I am insulted that you seem to think I am!!" I stormed at him angrily, and I suppose it was what I was feeling. "Get lost T'Phai, L'War and T'Alos aren't under my care any more, I have Human patients to treat."  
  
Without waiting for him to be prepared I started the automatic release on the chamber, it would give him enough time to get out and he did so realising, I assume, that he couldn't very well argue if he was a corpse! I dumped the powersuit in a heap and went to bluster about what had just happened.  
  
Just what the hell is wrong with me, I'm acting like a child but I was right and I would not back down!  
  
~*~*~  
  
T'Phai  
  
As hard as it was, I tore myself away from L'War's bedside to go in search of Ellen, I had not meant to offend her and I understood how it was my fault. I walked to her barracks, she was lucky because she did not have to share with anyone else.  
  
I tapped lightly on the door with my knuckles, someone moved inside and the door opened; Ellen had tears in her eyes and even though it had only been a few hours since she had spoken with me last, her hair was untidy. "Leave me alone," Was what she said and she shut the door in my face.  
  
I knew the combination to her door, at her will and I opened it. She was sitting on the cot with her head in her hands, Ellen cries as little as I do and it was unusual to see her doing so. "Why did you say that?" She asked of me, she looked up at me, her face reminiscent of M'Rette's when she was hurt.  
  
I sat next to her, I had started to realise that she did not mind my doing so, "I did not mean too, I did not mean it as an insult." I touched her shoulder and she shrugged slightly from my touch, so I moved my hand back onto my lap. "I think that I was leaving it for later, L'War is not fully recovered and I did not want to shock her too much."  
  
"You thought it better to hurt my feelings? And there I was thinking you were a nice guy; but you're not are you? You're just like my asshole father, you don't care at all for my feelings!" I stood and moved to the door, she looked to me, gritting her teeth and clearly regretting what she had said.  
  
Ellen's father had left her mother before she was born, from what I understand Ellen had always been a little mistrustful of the men around her in case they hurt her feelings in the same way that had. "I'm sorry; you're not like my dad, not at all."  
  
"That is alright, I understand."  
  
"No you don't, you don't at all, how could you?"  
  
"I believe I do, I have hurt you as much as that did, you are right to be upset."  
  
She beckoned me to sit and after I did so she gave me a sideways hug, "Friends?" I placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. A smile tugged at my features and I looked down on her form.  
  
"I did not know that we had stopped being so." She laughed and things returned almost instantly to the way they had been; save the fact that Ellen seemed unable to look me in the eye whenever L'War was around, very peculiar.  
  
~*~*~ 


	8. Back to the way things should have been

~*~*~  
  
There was an unofficial meeting between Romeo squad and Alpha team the morning after T'Alos and L'War's return to consciousness; it was almost as if they had all had the same idea at the same time. "We all agree that the being in question cannot remain on active duty despite what SICON believe," Orson surmised, mainly to see if there were any arguments to that, no one spoke.  
  
L'War, who was present with T'Phai because she had agreed to offer T'Alos a home, stood and looked around the room of faces she knew because she had tried to kill them and cleared the nervous lump in her throat. "I think I have an idea;" She admitted softly, her voice altered disturbingly by the talk box. "The only way to stop your authorities from chasing him is if he is dead,"  
  
"What you going to kill him now?" McKenzie sneered coldly; he had something funny against L'War, which no one else understood. L'War looked hurt and turned to T'Phai who offered a grin to her and nodded, things got better over time.  
  
"I have warned you about that twice before Private; I do not want to have to tell you again. Am I making myself clear?"  
  
"Sir, yes sir."  
  
There was a silence as they all thought, then a soft unexpected voice piqued up from the very back darkened corner of the room. "I've not filled in any medical records for him since you all came back the first time," Ellen told them bluntly, "I got a little snowed under in paperwork, I could just say that it was a delayed reaction to the brain bugs death."  
  
T'Phai looked to his friend with the biggest smile he could give, "It's going to have to be a precise plan doctor, I trust you have an idea," Razak said to her and Ellen smiled back in reply, her mouth closed loosely and her eyes locked with the LT's.  
  
"You could say that I have a precise plan sir, yes."  
  
~*~*~  
  
Razak  
  
Doctor Baxter's plan is incredibly complex for that of a doctor, she has taken into concern every possible error to her own logic; she's clearly thought on it for a long while. Any military mind would have been proud of her plan and if she'd been a trooper and had it not been secret against SICON she would have received a commendation for it. It is paramount to the plan that nothing can go badly wrong and that SICON never find out what we're doing or we're all in for a dishonourable discharge. I can see why T'Phai is such good friends with the doctor, she's got a surprisingly keen mind for someone who never fights.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Higgins  
  
"So we came to the end of our second campaign on Tophet; we'd gone full circle with the Skinnie's, blown up a second brain bug and lost a valuable psychic and dear friend."  
  
I couldn't help but give a smile at my final voiceover, my tones of sorrow as I announced T'Alos's 'death' made me chuckle now; I'd have made a great actor on Earth. My report was the final piece of the puzzle along with T'Alos's name change to T'Phau so that SICON couldn't trace him.  
  
The funniest part of my report was the part when Ellen and I had had to get T'Alos to play dead for a few moments so I could give the report its full effect. Dizzy moved to my side and clapped her hand onto my back, since Romeo squad had moved out we had been allowed Dizzy back in with us.  
  
"Nice report there Bobby, you must be dead proud of it."  
  
"I just hope it works, it'd be a shame for Ellen's plan to fail now."  
  
She looked at me out of the corner of her eyes, "You've got a little crush haven't you?" She asked, teasing me with her tone of voice. I didn't answer chewing thoughtfully on my upper lip; maybe I did have a crush on Ellen she was a very attractive person after all.  
  
~*~*~  
  
T'Phai  
  
We left Tophet that afternoon, I had very little time to say my farewells to my family, but I was sure that there was a reason for that, I doubt I would be able to leave if I had not done so. I stood by one of the windows on the Valley Forge. In a funny way, that I was unused to I was dragged back to the time when I had first joined the Roughnecks and had passed most of the trip looking out at the stars and planets that I had no knowledge of before; that too has been the start of something that had altered my life.  
  
Ellen came to my side, I was glad of her companionship, whereas when I had been alone, I now had her friendship. "Are you saying your goodbyes?" She asked me softly, her voice barely brushing my thoughts as I looked over the orange glow of my planet.  
  
"I do not say goodbye," I admitted and turned to her with considerable difficulty. "I am coming back," She smiled slightly but looked sad. "Did you say the same when you left Earth?" She did not grin but she smiled in a sorry way, I knew her answer or I could assume at one close to it. She had done so too but there were times that everyone who does so, finds themselves wishing that they had.  
  
"I had nothing to say goodbye to,"  
  
"There was your mother,"  
  
"You've never met my mum, she's an old battleaxe." Ellen said with a proper smile. "Neither of us would say goodbye and neither of us will ever do so." I placed a hand on her shoulder, "What?"  
  
I shook my head, I did not have anything to say, and she looked to my face. "I'm not with you at the next base, I tried but I am going to Hydora, they're setting up a base there and they wanted me to be the first medic there for some bizarre reason."  
  
Nothing was said for a very long time; I had never expected to be this upset about her telling me this; I looked to her and was not surprised that she was sobbing lightly. "Promise me you'll write," She said through her sniffs. I nodded in a slightly subdued way.  
  
"Yes, will you do the same in return?"  
  
"Duh," I held out my left hand and she grasped it in her own, a clear marker of friendship. "We don't say goodbye, right?"  
  
"No we do not," I admitted, "Be safe Ellen; I will write you as often as I can." I released her hand at the same time as she did mine. She looked away, "Do you know where I am to be stationed?" She shook her head, "Then I will have to write first." She nodded slightly. You have to understand that I have never heard Ellen so quiet, when she spoke it was soft and quivery, lacking in the delight and friendship of her usual tones.  
  
"You keep yourself safe to hey?" Ellen still had her back to him as she spoke. "I'll write to your kids too, if that's ok?"  
  
"Why would it not be?"  
  
She turned quickly and hugged me; I did nothing to stop her but hugged her back. "No goodbyes," She snapped as if reading my thoughts. "We said so; I ship out within the hour." I nodded, "I've still got to pack, I've never been one for organisation."  
  
She started for the door and I called after her in my own language, a poem of sorts that is traditional on Tophet. 'Places change and switch, but friendships continue on and on, never switching or going wrong.' She turned back to me with a look of delight on her face.  
  
"For a colonel you're a sloppy old bugger!"  
  
She left then, thinking it was a good ending place but I realised that I could no more watch her go then allow her to have that last thing said to me and I followed her.  
  
~*~*~  
  
End  
  
Well quite clearly it's not the end of everything but it is the very end of this one which is quite long enough for now! 


End file.
